Billy Graham Center Archives

Interviews with Sadie Custer - Collection 470

[Note: What follows is a description of the documents in this collection which are available for use at BGC Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. The actual documents are not, in most cases, available online, only this description of them. Nor are they available for sale or rent. Some or all of this collection can be borrowed through interlibrary loan. ]

Brief Description.
Oral history interview in which Custer discusses her
childhood, conversion, education at Moody Bible Institute,
joining the China Inland Mission, arrival in China in 1936,
the Chinese language, work in Shensi province, Bible teaching,
transition from missionary to Chinese leadership, the Three
Self Movement, the Communist revolution in China and its
effect on missions, the Sino-Japanese Conflict, work in
Malaysia among Chinese, living in an area in Malaysia
contested by the government and communist guerillas, work
with the Paiwan tribe in Taiwan, retirement in 1976 and prayer
ministry in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Vol.: 3 reels of audio tape

Sadie Custer was interviewed by Robert Shuster on December, 10, 1992, at the Lammermuir
Retirement Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The events described in the interview cover the
time period ca.1920-1992. Tapes were originally recorded on two cassette tapes and later
transferred to three reel-to-reel master tapes.

T1 (65 minutes). Growing up in a close Christian family on a farm, evaluation of her education,
being led to faith in Christ by Dr. M.R. DeHaan, living and working in Grand Rapids with her
sister, resisting the call to missions and then changing her mind, sister Julia's death from
influenza, education at Moody Bible Institute (impact of professor Kenneth Wuest, the
importance of prayer, practical ministry, enjoying evangelistic activities, spiritual development
and learning to relate to God), oneness with CIM philosophy and goals, process of going to
China, traveling to China with twenty-six CIM women missionaries in 1936, difficulty of but
delight in learning Chinese, well suited as a farm girl to rural life in China, pioneer work in
unevangelized area, testimony of carpenter Mr. Chin, Chinese evangelists (Meng Ching Wuen,
Fu Yung, Chin Yu Kuoh), her Bible teaching work, typical worship service, evangelistic
methods, woman preacher (Miss Liang), learning customs from Chinese Bible woman (Mrs. Wu)

T2 (65 minutes). Ten-year plan for establishing self-supporting indigenous churches and
pressure from the Three Self Movement, bombings in 1940 during Sino-Japanese War,
evangelistic street meetings, Bible teaching ministry, leaving China, ministry in Malaysia,
testimony of a young Buddhist named Golden Lion (Tam Kim Sai) and his call to Malaysian
Muslims, call to Malaysia, devoted Christian family, regular interrogation by Communists in
China, Three Self Movement, missionary conferences, reports of Christianity in China
flourishing, evangelistic Bible teaching ministry in rural Malaysia among Buddhists, strengths
and weaknesses of the Malaysian church, living in midst of an area disputed by Communist and
colonial or nationalist governments, transferring to Taiwan at age sixty-three to be a Bible
teacher among the nominal Christian Paiwan people, language barriers, testimony of young
soldier, [minute of tape inaudible due to recording difficulties], prayer ministry after retirement

T3 (16 minutes). Prayer group ministry for missionaries after retirement in Michigan, prayer
supporters throughout her career, prayer group ministry in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, comparing
missions in 1936 and 1992

Provenance

The audio tapes in this collection were given to the Archives of the Billy Graham Center by
Sadie Custer in December 1992.

November 24, 1997
Accession: 92-154
Paul A. Ericksen
L. Ellison

LOCATION RECORDAccession: 92-154Type of Material: Audio Tapes

The following items are located in the AUDIO TAPE FILE:

T1 - Reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, 69 minutes. One side. Interview with Sadie Custer
by Robert Shuster, December 10, 1992. Originally recorded on a cassette and later
transferred to this master reel.

T2 - Reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, 68 minutes. One side. Continuation of interview
with Sadie Custer by Robert Shuster, December 10, 1992. Originally recorded on a
cassette and later transferred to this master reel.

T3 - Reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, 17 minutes. One side. Continuation of interview
with Sadie Custer by Robert Shuster, December 10, 1992. Originally recorded on a
cassette and later transferred to this master reel.